1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a strain relief device which is interposed between an end portion of a cable and an electrical connector of an electrical appliance, more particularly to a strain relief device including a rigid sleeve which prevents removal of the cable from a protective sheath that is injection molded on the cable and that is held on the connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional strain relief device is constructed as a plastic protective sheath 20, and is provided on an electrical cable 10 which consists of a plurality of conductors 11 and an insulator covering 12. As illustrated, the sheath 20 has an annular groove 21 formed in an outer surface thereof, and is injection molded on the cable 10. In use, two housing halves (not shown) of a connector (not shown) of an electrical appliance (not shown) engage the annular groove 21 in the sheath 20 to clamp the sheath 20 between the housing halves (not shown), thereby holding the sheath 20 and the cable 10 on the connector (not shown). Because the sheath 20 is flexible, the conductors 11 are often flexed in use. Frequent flexing of the conductors 11 relative to the connector (not shown) can break the segments of the conductors 11 which are encased within the sheath 20. Furthermore, when the cable 10 is pulled away from the connector (not shown) for electrical disconnection, removal of the cable 10 from the sheath 20 can occur due to lack of any suitable retainer which is interposed therebetween.